Spectre (DC Comics character)

The Spectre
Art by Alex Ross
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceMore Fun Comics #52 (February 1940)
Created byJerry Siegel
Bernard Baily
In-story information
Alter egoAztar
Various hosts
SpeciesGhost
Team affiliationsJustice Society of America
All-Star Squadron
Archangels
Justice League
Justice League Dark
PartnershipsHuman hosts:
Jim Corrigan
Hal Jordan
Crispus Allen
Notable aliasesThe Spirit of Vengeance
The Spirit of Redemption
The Avenging Wrath of God
The Ghostly Guardian
The Man of Darkness
Abilities
Altered in-story information for adaptations to other media
PartnershipsHuman hosts:
Oliver Queen (Arrowverse)
The Spectre
More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940), the debut of the Spectre, cover art by Bernard Baily
Publication information
Schedulevol. 1: Bi-monthly
vols. 2–4: Monthly
FormatOngoing series
Publication datevol. 1: November/December 1967 – May/June 1969
vol. 2: April 1987 – November 1989
1988 Annual
vol. 3: December 1992 – February 1998
1995 Annual
vol. 4: March 2001 – May 2003
No. of issuesvol. 1: 10
vol. 2: 31, plus 1 Annual
vol. 3: 64 (numbered 1 – 63, includes a #0), plus 1 Annual
vol. 4: 27
Main character(s)All: The Spectre
vols. 1–3: Jim Corrigan
vol. 4: Hal Jordan
Infinite CrisisBlackest Night: Crispus Allen
Creative team
Written by(vol. 1)
Gardner Fox (1-2, 6-7), Neal Adams (4-5), Mike Friedrich (3, 9-10), Steve Skeates (9)
(vol. 2)
Doug Moench
(vol. 3)
John Ostrander
(vol. 4)
J.M. DeMatteis

The Spectre is the name of several antiheroes who appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version first appeared in More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940).[1] The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily although some sources attribute creator credit solely to Siegel, limiting Baily to the artist assigned to the feature.[2][3][4]

The Spectre is a divine entity representing vengeance on behalf of The Presence, considered God in the context of Abrahamic religion. Initially a demon named Aztar, he rebelled against God but later sought forgiveness and was granted a divine role. As the Spectre, Aztar possesses immense power, making him one of the most formidable beings in the DC Universe. He is bound to a human host who assists him in judging the transgressions of humanity and other beings, determining suitable punishments. These judgments are often delivered in a harsh and creatively ironic manner.[5][6] The Spectre has had multiple hosts throughout its history. The primary host is James "Jim" Corrigan, a Gotham City detective who was killed and resurrected as the Spectre. Hal Jordan also became the Spectre to redeem himself after his actions as Parallax, becoming a force of redemption. Crispus Allen, another Gotham detective, served as a host despite his doubts about God's existence.

The character has appeared in various media adaptations. Most notable, the character appeared within the Arrowverse. One version appears on Constantine portrayed by Emmett J. Scanlan[7] and another alternate version appears in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, portrayed by Stephen Lobo.[8]

  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ Greenberger, Bob, "Of Ghostly Guardians and Resurrections," The Spectre (vol. 2) #1 (April 1987), DC Comics, ("letter" column).
  3. ^ Thomas, Roy, "Secrets Behind the Origins Dept.", Secret Origins (vol. 2) #15 (June 1987) DC Comics (sidebar to letter column, second page).
  4. ^ Bails, Jerry, "Foreword", The Golden Age Spectre Archives Volume 1, 2003, DC Comics, p. 6.
  5. ^ "Spectre". 2021-12-03. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  6. ^ Scott, Melanie; DK (2019-03-12). DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide, New Edition. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4654-8639-4.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference IGN2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lobo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).